Dear John, Randy and Doves -Randy, you mentioned something in your posting that really caught my attention. At the bottom, in the material from Chevlei Mashiach, the article says,Moreover, we have been through some of the "birthpangs of Mashiach," those awesome events that have taken place in our generation (Israel as Nation, Jerusalem as its capital, Sanhedrin established, the war in Iraq, etc).Wikipedia goes into some detail regarding the difficulties of the re-establishment of the Sanhedrin, but the Sanhedrin must be in place before the fulfillment of the "Feast of Trumpets." Why? Because the REAL Feast (up to now, they've all been "dress rehearsals") cannot begin until the two witnesses (see Rev. 11:3) testify before the Sanhedrin that they have observed the New Moon.Yom Teruah is the only festival that no man knows when exactly it will occur. This is due to the fact that it begins on the new moon. The new moon was sanctified when two witnesses see the new moon and attest to it before the Sanhedrin in the Temple. ("The Rapture on Rosh Hashanah")Without a duly-constituted Sanhedrin in place, there would be no one for the witnesses to testify to. I seriously doubt that this year, Rosh Hashanah will begin with two random guys - I think it's gonna be the beginning of something MAJOR.We shall see, of course. And possibly from the mezzanine this time.Best,Steve